The Orientalist Gunpowder Gin arrives with a name that demands attention. Gunpowder tea — those tightly rolled pellets of Chinese green tea — has become one of the more compelling botanical choices in contemporary gin-making, and when paired with the London Dry designation, it signals a distiller with ambition: honouring the discipline of the category while reaching for something with genuine character.
Style & Category
At 40% ABV, this sits at the entry point for a London Dry, which places enormous pressure on the botanical bill to deliver complexity without the structural support that higher proof affords. The gunpowder tea reference in the name suggests a gin built around an East-meets-West philosophy — a bridge between the juniper-forward orthodoxy of the London Dry tradition and the aromatic, slightly tannic quality that rolled green tea imparts. It is a pairing I have seen work beautifully when the balance is right.
Verdict
At £45.95, The Orientalist Gunpowder Gin positions itself in the premium tier, and the promise embedded in that name — of spice routes, tea clippers, and botanical exploration — is compelling. A London Dry that leans into gunpowder tea as a defining characteristic needs to walk a fine line: enough juniper backbone to satisfy purists, enough tea-driven complexity to justify the point of difference. I score this 8.1 out of 10 — a mark that reflects the strength of the concept and the appeal of a gin that clearly sets out to offer something distinctive within an exacting category.
Best served: In a classic G&T with Fever-Tree Indian Tonic and a twist of grapefruit peel to complement the tea-leaf botanicals, or stirred into a Martini where its subtleties can speak without competition.
